Press Digest: Russia and South Ossetia formalize their relationship

On March 18, Russia signed a Treaty of Alliance and Integration with the Republic of South Ossetia. Source: Konstantin Zavrazhin / RG

Moscow signs a treaty with Tshkinvali; Ukraine files a suit against Putin in the Hague and Russia unlikely to see much change from Netanyahu’s victory.

South Ossetia signs Treaty of
Alliance with Russia

On March 18, Russia signed a Treaty of
Alliance and Integration with the Republic of South Ossetia. The treaty will
last for 25 years and has the possibility of extension, the weekly magazine
Expert reports.
The document allows for the creation of a "common space of defense and
security, free border crossing and cooperation between the Interior
Ministries."

The magazine notes that the international
community has responded predictably to the signing of this agreement: U.S.
State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the document does not have the
power of international agreements, while the Georgian Foreign Ministry said
that South Ossetia remains an integral part of Georgia and does not constitute
an independent subject of international law. South Ossetia broke away from
Georgia during the 2008 Five-Day War.

According to Expert, the strong reaction by
Georgia is affected not only by its overall policy towards South Ossetia but
also by domestic political concerns. The publication explains that the ruling
coalition, Georgian Dream, is both trying to improve relations with Moscow and
defend itself against criticism from the opposition at the same time.

Expert adds that the new treaty will act as a
kind of guarantee for South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which also broke away from
Georgia during the war, regardless of how Russia-Georgia relations develop.

Kiev appeals to The Hague

News website Gazeta.ru reports
that the Ukrainian government has filed a lawsuit against Russian President
Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in the Hague. Ukrainian
Justice Minister Pavel Petrenko said that the lawsuit concerns statements by
Putin and Shoigu on Crimea made in the documentary "Crimea: The Road
Home," which aired on Russian television March 15. In the film, Putin said
that he personally directed events that took place in Crimea after the change
of power in Ukraine.

Vadim Karasev, a Ukrainian political
scientist and the director of the Institute of Global Strategies, said in
comments to Gazeta.ru that the lawsuit is a symbolic gesture that shows Ukraine
is not ready to give in and pursue peace at any price.

"Not everything is decided by
Poroshenko, the political field is highly diversified," Karasev said.

According to Karasev, the lawsuit is just the
latest indication that Kiev is going to take a tough stance vis-a-vis Moscow
regarding the situation in the Donbass. Another indication is the bill
submitted by President Petro Poroshenko to the Ukrainian parliament, the
Verkhovna Rada, on self-governance of parts of southeastern Ukraine.

Karasev
said that the legislation – which requires the end of the occupation of the
regions before voting can take place and excludes the town of Debaltsevo from
the regions to be given a special status – did not go against the letter of the
Minsk Agreement, although it did go against its spirit. Karasev believes that
one option for resolving the self-governance issue is that Moscow will replace
the current leaders of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, which Kiev
might accept as a compromise position.

Russia’s
relations with Israel unlikely to change

The Vzglyad newspaper summed up Israel’s snap
parliamentary elections, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud
Party won a surprise victory.

The paper noted that the election results are
unlikely to change much in Russia-Israel relations. While Isaac Herzog, the
leader of the center-left coalition who was considered Netanyahu’s main
competition for the prime minister’s seat, said that he would strengthen
Israel’s relationship with Russia should he win, a Netanyahu victory is more
likely to produce policies in Russia’s favor, Vzglyad wrote.

According to Tatyana Karasova, the head of
the department of Israeli and Jewish communities at the Institute of Oriental
Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, "everything will continue in
the same vein of the growth of bilateral relations, as it was in recent
years."

"Despite the fact that the Foreign
Ministry will not be headed by Avigdor Lieberman, who was a strong supporter of
strategic relations with Russia, the vector of mutual relations will
continue," Karasova said.

The election results will further complicate
already difficult relations with the United States, especially since the
personal relationship between U.S. President Barack Obama and Netanyahu is very
difficult, which may also work in Russia’s favor.